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CONFERENCE PROCEEDINGS |
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| TUESDAY - MAY 12, 2009 | |
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The Future of Animal Transport |
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Gregg PITTELKOW Chairman, IATA Live Animals and Perishables Board and Sr. Specialist - Operations Delta Air Lines, Inc. Department C5630 7500 Airline Dr. Minneapolis, MN 55450 USA
Tel: +1 612 727 6516 Fax: +1 612 726 2028
Gregg Pittelkow, (“Pit-tel-coe”) a 27-year veteran with Delta Air Lines, is responsible for developing, implementing and monitoring the carrier’s policies and procedures for the transport of special cargoes. Prior to his current assignment, he held long-term positions with the carrier in Airport Operations, Passenger Marketing Programs, and Information Services.
In addition to his duties at Delta, Gregg has long been active in the International Air Transport Association (IATA), serving as the carrier’s representative to the Cargo Services Conference and in elected positions on the Live Animals and Perishables Board and the Cargo Procedures Conference Management Group.
In 2003, he was elected Chairman of the Live Animals and Perishables Board; a position he still holds today. Gregg is also a consultant to industry, government and non-government organizations on issues relating to the air transport of a variety of special cargoes.
A graduate from the University of St. Thomas and a life-long resident of the Twin Cities, Gregg makes his home in Minneapolis, Minnesota (USA). [ Back to Top ] |
of IATA's Live Animal Regulations (LAR)”
Gregg PITTELKOW Delta Air Lines, Inc. Senior Specialist – Operations Chairman, IATA Live Animals and Perishables Board
Shippers, air carriers, and regulators are under tremendous stress to maintain and enhance the availability of air transport of live animals in today’s environment. The animal transportation industry is now confronted by a set of unprecedented challenges caused by the worldwide financial crisis, increased regulations, the spread of animal rights activism, and concerns about the effects of transportation on global warming. Although air carriers have a long and storied history of dealing with the myriad of challenges outside of their control, for the first time in history the entire airline industry finds itself struggling just to survive in the current economic environment. For everyone involved in animal transportation the unique combination of today’s challenges can easily be summed up as a “perfect storm”.
While surviving the current worldwide financial crisis is the airline industry’s chief concern, other key issues will have a profound effect on the future of live animal transport by air. In the European Union we’ve seen EC Directive 91/628 become EU Regulation 1/2005; a change that has been met with some resistance and a call for it to be revisited. Although these regulations deal primarily with surface transport, should they be revisited there remains the chance that air transport (with its intrinsic differences) could be painted with the same broad brush applied to surface transport. The spread of zoonotic diseases, notably West Nile Virus and H5N1 Bird Flu which have effectively shut down bird transportation in many parts of the world, threatens the transportation of numerous other animal species. In addition, new concerns over the movement of so called invasive and non-native animals have prompted many governments to consider developing new regulations to stop or restrict the movement of these animals.
The International Air Transport Association, through its Live Animals and Perishables Board is working with governments, NGOs, and other key stakeholders to meet these challenges head-on by developing sound, practical procedures and regulations aimed at maintaining and enhancing the availability of air transport for live animals in these challenging times. PowerPoint Presentation |
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Stephen MEERWALD Managing Director Wellard Rural Exports 1A Pakenham St Fremantle Western Australia 6160
Tel: + 61 9432 2800 Fax: + 61 8 9432 2880
Steve Meerwald has been the driving force behind Wellard Rural Exports’ rise to become Australia’s largest livestock exporter and a company that is widely acknowledged as the leader in animal welfare in the live export industry. Steve joined Wellard in 1984, having spent the previous six years working for what was then Australia’s largest sheep meat processor, Metro Meats, as State Livestock Controller. With 30 years involvement in the meat and livestock industry he is widely recognised for his leadership in the sector. He is currently Managing Director of Wellard Rural Exports Pty Ltd and a trustee of the Murdoch University Veterinary Trust. Working with Wellard principal Mauro Balzarini and the Balzarini family-owned Siba Ships, Steve and Mauro have worked to cement the future of the live export industry, and the suppliers and consumers who rely on it, by investing in and improving infrastructure and management throughout the supply chain. Their investment in the industry is second to none, from farms, trucks, a feed mill, six AQIS-registered pre-export facilities throughout Australia and the largest and most modern livestock fleet in the world – with more new, technologically advanced vessels under construction. Wellard and Siba ship sheep and cattle from ports right across Australia to Asia, Central America and the Middle East. In 2008 Wellard shipped 230,000 cattle and 700,000 sheep, enjoying excellent success rates. In addition to his work at Wellard, Steve’s previous roles have included: ? Vice Chairman of the Australian Livestock Exporter’s Council ? Chairman of the Western Australian Livestock Exporters Association ? Director of the Australian Livestock Export Corporation ? Member of LiveExport Industry R&D Committee [ Back to Top ] |
“Feeding the Future:
Stephen MEERWALD Managing Director Wellard Rural Exports
The live export industry must continue to enjoy a social as well as regulatory licence to operate if it, and the farmers that rely on it, are to continue to prosper. Continuous improvement through investment in infrastructure, management and husbandry to improve animal welfare on-board vessels are vital to retain those formal and informal licences, and therefore to ensure the long term sustainability and viability of the maritime live export industry.
A report from Hassall and Associates released in August 2007 estimated the present value of income losses over a 10 year period if the live export trade was to cease would be more $2.2 billion in six case study regions. That would be catastrophic not just for the farmers who rely on the trade, but also the consumers in the Middle East and South East Asia who rely on the protein derived from Australia’s livestock exports. However, sustainability is not only ethically, but also commercially enhanced by this investment in the industry. There are immediate financial rewards for companies upgrading their ships and the animal husbandry on-board those vessels.
Healthy, happy animals gain weight on voyages, which in turn increases the returns to the exporter, ship owner and farmer. Recognising the importance of safe, fast modern tonnage, Siba Ships and Wellard Rural Exports already own the largest and most modern livestock fleet in the world.
The M/V Stella Deneb is the largest livestock carrier in the world and the M/V Becrux is the most technologically advanced livestock carrier in the world With two new state-of-the-art vessels due for delivery in the next 12 months, and another two by 2013, Siba and Wellard’s investment in the industry continues to grow.
The vessels will exceed Australia’s maritime safety standards, which are the most stringent for live export carriers in the world – and set a benchmark for all other exporting and importing countries to aspire to and adopt. However, the quality of the vessels servicing the long and short haul live export industry is just one, but very, important component of the live export supply chain.
This is why Wellard and Siba have made substantial investments in road transport, pre-export aggregation facilities, university-backed animal welfare research and in feedlots in importing countries – to lead by example and to showcase its animal welfare ethos for adoption by other industry participants.
The maritime live export industry plays an important role bridging the gap between large sheep and cattle producing countries and large population areas. By investing in all elements of the industry to improve animal welfare standards, it will continue to fulfill that vital function.
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Jennifer WOODS J. Woods Livestock Services RR #1 Blackie, Alberta T0L 0J0 Canada Tel: +1 403-684-3008
Currently, Jennifer works closely with and consults to the livestock industry across North America and Europe on livestock handling and behavior, transportation and emergency response. Jennifer has been delivering livestock handling courses including Livestock Emergency Response and Livestock Behavior and Handling since 1997. In the past 9 years she has trained over 2,000 first responders, animal enforcement agents, livehaul drivers and producers in Canada and the United States in Livestock Emergency Response. She has also documented and/or investigated over 400 livehaul accidents across North America. In 2005, Jennifer began working with large livestock production and processing companies on accident response policy and procedures. These programs have included; Emergency Euthanasia and Accident Prevention Training for Drivers. Jennifer has certified Canadian Universities for the Canadian Council on Animal Care and developed a livestock behavior and handling curriculum for colleges. In 2004, she started working with Dr. Temple Grandin for certification to perform Livestock Handling Audits for Auction Marts and Meat Plants. Jennifer is on the AATA Board of Directors and on the Animal Welfare Committee for the American Meat Institute.
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“The Transport of Slaughter
Jennifer WOODS Livestock Handling Specialist J. Woods Livestock Services
The past several years has seen an ever growing focus on the transport of horses for meat. The U.S. government enlisted researchers to look into the welfare of horses during transport to slaughter. The USDA hired a Compliance Specialist for the Equine Transportation Act. The Humane Slaughter Act was amended to incorporate transportation conditions for horses being transported to slaughter. Animal rights groups have focused their campaigns on stopping the transport of horses for meat consumption, in order to stop the processing of horses for meat.
These campaigns are still going strong as horses are transported even further than before due to the closures of the remaining three US slaughter plants. Alberta Farm Animal Care funded a reporting looking into the welfare of meat horses in Alberta. No other commodity has garnered the attention of welfare during transportation as much as the meat horse.
Many precedents have also been set over the past few years. The amendment of the Humane Slaughter Act was based on the results of scientific research. Cross border collaboration was established between Canada and the US to enforce the laws on both sides of the border pertaining to the transport of meat horses. A compliance officer still tracks and inspects horses going for slaughter in the US, even though the animals are being transported out of the country for processing. An animal welfare group was established in Canada (Horse Welfare Alliance of Canada) to work with industry and enforcement on both sides of the border to ensure that the animals are transported and handled in the most humane way.
Can other commodities learn from the meat horse sector? PowerPoint Presentation |
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Last Updated: 03-Aug-2009 |
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“What's in the
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